FOOTBALL – Manchester City reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez for £125 million ($169.08m), British media reported yesterday, with the fee set to equal the Premier League transfer record.
The Athletic reported Fernandez was given permission by Chelsea to undergo a medical.
The fee would equal the British transfer record set when Liverpool signed Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United last year.
City would also be breaking their own record for their most expensive transfer after they signed England midfielder Elliot Anderson in July for a fee of up to £116m.
Meanwhile, City’s rebuild continued with the signing of Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye from Everton on a five-year deal, the club confirmed last night ahead of the summer transfer window coming to a close early this morning, Bahrain time.
City paid a reported £65m($87.80m) for the 26-year-old, who became the club’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window following the departure of coach Pep Guardiola.
- Spanish champions Barcelona signed Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal on a three-year contract, the clubs said yesterday.
Neither club disclosed financial details of the deal, though British media reported Barcelona paid about £8.6m($11.5m) for the 29-year-old.
Jesus is Barcelona’s sixth signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri, Joao Cancelo and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
- Ibrahim Mbaye joined Premier League club Aston Villa from Paris St Germain on a permanent transfer, both clubs said yesterday. The 18-year-old Senegal forward leaves PSG after eight seasons at the club, having joined their academy at the age of 10.
- Newcastle United signed Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said yesterday. Details regarding the transfer fee and contract length were not disclosed, but British media reported Newcastle paid £51.4m($69.6m) for the 21-year-old.
- Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Genk on a long-term contract before loaning him back to the Belgian club for the current season, the Premier League side announced yesterday. Financial details were not disclosed, but British media reported that the fee with add-ons could reach £30m($39.3m).
- Juventus signed German forward Nick Woltemade on loan from Premier League club Newcastle United until June 2027, the Serie A side announced yesterday. The 24-year-old signed for Newcastle last year in a club-record deal reported by British media to be worth around £69m.
- Forward Beto has completed a permanent move from Everton to Serie A club Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee, both teams announced yesterday.
- Wrexham confirmed yesterday the signings of midfielder Callum O’Hare from Sheffield United and defender Joe Worrall from Burnley. Both signings were for undisclosed fees, with O’Hare signing a three-year deal with an option for an additional year. The club announced Worrall signed a two-year deal, also with the option for an additional year. It included a transfer fee of about $2.7m, with the contract being worth up to $9.4m, according to ESPN.